Cleaning compound testing apparatus



Jan. 3, 1956 w. E. M KENZlE ET AL 2,729,098

CLEANING COMPOUND TESTING APPARATUS Filed March 11, 1953 I l' h m M may W VEW. m l w 7 9 F;

United States Patent O CLEANING COMPUUND TESTING APPARATUS William E. MacKenzie, Collingdale, and Stephen A. Matuska, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March 11,1953, Serial No. 341,848

3 Claims. (Cl. 73-53) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to the use of steam cleaning solutions, compounds, and other similar substances and more particularly to novel and improved methods and apparatus for determining the relative eifectiveness of the various types of such cleaning solutions, compounds and the like.

in the steam cleaning art many types of cleaning substances are ordinarily suggested and/or recommended for every cleaning job or operation. It is therefore often desirable to accurately determine which one of several such substances is the most practical and efficient in the removal of a particular type of soil. Although a number of test procedures and apparatus have been proposed and employed to obtain such a determination in the past, considerable difficulty has been experienced heretofore in obtaining results which were sufficiently accurate and/ or reliable.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide novel and improved methods and apparatus for determining the efiiciency and/or the effectiveness of various steam cleaning substances during a particular cleaning operation.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide cleaning material test methods and apparatus which more nearly resemble actual conditions during normal cleaning operations.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in own nection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. v

Figure 2 is a section along reference line II-II in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged section along reference line Ill--1II in Figure 1. p

In general the improved apparatus of the present invention includes an element having a flat planar surface, a standard soil which is substantially uniformly deposited on the said surface, a spray forming device, means for supplying the spray forming, device with controlled amounts of a cleaning solution and pressurized steam, and means for reciprocating the spray device to and fro across the surface of the element. It has been found that substantially improved test'results can be obtained with such apparatus.

A preferredembodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 13 of the drawing. As illustrated therein the elongated troughlike member or receptacle 3 is preferably mounted on a plurality of conventional upright legs or the like 4. The plate member 5 which is secured to and extends across the width of the troughlike' receptacle adjacent one extremity thereof provides a suitable support for the spaced upright bracket members 6 and 7. The member 8 which is also positioned on the plate member 5 in any suitable manner provides a support for the electric motor or the like 9, the speed of which is preferably controlled in any conventional manner. The armature of the motor 9 is preferably connected as shown in Figure 1 to one extremity of the shaft 10 which rotates freely in the conventional bearings 11 and 12 in the spaced brackets 6 and 7. The disk member or the like 13, to which a panel 14 having a standard soil 15 is secured during the test by means of the lugs or the like 16, is positioned adjacent the opposite extremity of the shaft 10 in any suitable manner.

The disk member 13 is preferably enclosed in a suitable transparent hood-like device or the like which is generally designated in the drawing by the reference numeral 17. As shown in Figures 1 and 2 the hood-like device preferably includes a top portion 17a as well as the rear and side wall portions 17b and 17c, all of which are secured to and extend upwardly from the upper periphery of the troughlike member 3. The shaft 10 extends through a suitable aperture formed in the rear wall 17b so that the disk 13 and the soil panel 14 mounted thereon are positioned within the hood.

The upright channel members or the like 18 and 19 are preferably secured to the side walls of the hood along the front edge portions thereof in any suitable manner so as to support and guide the plate member 24 which is positioned therein. In this way as will be more apparent hereinafter the plate member 20 (when it its uppermost position) is adapted to shield the soil on the panel while conditions for the test are being properly adjusted and controlled.

Although not shown on the drawing it is to be understood that any suitable conventional latching device could be used to selectively secure the plate member in uppermost and lowermost positions in the channel members 18 and 19 without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

The plate member 21 which extends across the width of the troughlike member 3 adjacent an intermediate portion thereof is secured thereto in any suitable conventional manner and though not shown in the drawing may be adjustably positionable therealong in any conventional manner. The electric motor or the like 22 which is mounted on the plate member 21 is connected to the speed reducing mechanism or the like 23 which is also mounted on the plate member.

The elongated arm or the like 24 is preferably pivotally secured to the plate member 21 at 25 in the manner shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. The arm or link element or the like 26, which extends between its pivoted connections with the arm 24 and an eccentric point on the extremity of the output shaft 27 of the speed reducing mechanism, is adapted to oscillate or reciprocate the arm on its pivot 25 to and fro in a plane which is substantially parallel to the disk 13.

The spray forming device 28 which is preferably positioned in and secured to an intermediate bowed portion of the arm by means of the conventional clamping device or the like 29 includes an elongated tapered mixing chamber or the like 30. As will be more apparent hereinafter the tubular extension or the like 31 which extends upwardly from an intermediate peripheral portion of the spray forming device and which communicates with the chamber 30 formed therein supplies the chamber with controlled amounts of the cleaning solution which is to be tested. One extremity of the chamber is connected by means of a suitable line or conduit 32 to the steam supply source 33 by way of the water-steam separating device 34 which will be described more fully hereinafter. The aperture or orifice at the opposite extremity of the chamber 30 forms a constricted opening through which the mixture of the steam and the cleaning solution passes during the testing operation.

The receptacle or the like 35a which supplies the spray forming device with the solution that is to be tested is preferably positioned above the other component parts of the test apparatus. Accordingly, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, the receptacle 35a is preferably securely positioned in the conventional clamping device 36 which is adjustably secured by means of the wingnut or the like 36a to the shaft 37 that extends upwardly from the top of the hood 17. In this way as will be more apparent hereinafter a controlled amount of the test cleaning solution is gravity fed from the receptacle 35a, through the stop cock valve 38 and the flexible tube 39 (part of which is taped or otherwise suitably secured to elongated arm 24) to the tubular extension of the spray-forming device.

As best shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing the water steam separating device 34 which is secured to and extends upwardly from the plate member 21 is preferably separated into the concentric chambers 4t? and 41. The cylindrical chamber 40 is defined by the interior of an elongated tubular member 42 which extends downwardly from the upper extremity of the separator, and the annular chamber 41 is defined by the inner periphery of the separator and the outer periphery of the downwardly extending member 42. As will be more apparent hereinafter the opening at the bottom of the separator together with the flexible conduit 43 and the valve 44 permit periodic removals of the condensed water therefrom.

An opening in the upper extremity of the separator together with the tubular conduit or the like 45 which extends upwardly therefrom supply the water-free steam through one branch of the T connection 46 to the pressure gauge 47. The other branch of the T connection directs the steam through the valve 46 and the flexible conduit 32 to the mixing chamber of the spray forming device.

As best shown in Figure 3 of the drawing the steam is preferably delivered under pressure from a suitable source which is represented diagrammatically in the drawing by the reference numeral 33, through the flexible conduit 49 and the valve 511 into the outer annular chamber of the water-steam separating device. Although, as indicated heretofore and hereinafter pressurized steam is ordinarily used in conjunction with the present invention, it is to be understood that any other suitable conventional pressurized vapor or fluid could be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

In carrying out the testing operation in accordance with the present invention, the standard soil is first deposited in a conventional manner on the outer periphery of the panel 14 and the panel is secured to the disk 13 by means of the lugs 16. The cleaning solution which is to be tested is then deposited in the receptacle 35a and both electric motors are started. The speed of each of the motors is then properly adjusted until the disk 13 is driven at a desired angular rate and the spray forming device 28 on the arm is reciprocated in a proper manner to and fro radially across the surface of the disk. The valve 56 is then opened and adjusted so as to supply the steam from its source through to water-steam separator at a predetermined pressure. When the desired steam pressure is obtained as indicated on the gauge 47, the valves 38 and 48 are opened, thereby supplying controlled amounts of the steam and the cleaning solution to the spray forming device where they are mixed and directed outwardly through the orifice against the plate member 29. The plate member is then quickly moved to its lowermost position thereby permitting the steam and cleaning solution mixture to contact and react upon the soiled surface of the panel 14. When a predetermined amount of the cleaning solution has been expended or when a given time interval has elapsed, the plate member is quickly returned to its uppermost position and the cleansing operation is abruptly terminated. p

As is conventional in the art the soil panel 14 is then removed from the disk 13 and that portion of the soil that has not been removed is dissolved and/ or washed off with a suitable solvent or other solution which is evaporated in a weighed evaporating dish. The residue is then carefully weighed and compared with residues of other cleaning solutions to accurately determine the relative cleaning results.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for determining the effectiveness of a cleaning solution comprising an elongated trough; an element having a fiat circular surface positioned above one extremity of the trough; a standard soil which is substantially uniformly deposited on the said surface; means for rotating the element at a predetermined rate on an axis which is substantially at right angles with the center of the said surface; a hood-like device which extends upwardly from the trough and which encloses all but the said surface of the element; a spray-forming device positioned in front of the said surface of the element; means for supplying the spray-forming device with controlled amounts of a pressurized fluid and the said cleaning solution; and means for automatically reciprocating the sprayforming device to and fro across the said surface.

2. Apparatus for determining the effectiveness of a cleaning solution comprising an elongated trough; an element having a fiat circular surface positioned above one extremity of the trough; a standard soil which is substantially uniformly deposited on the said surface; means for rotating the element at a predetermined rate on an axis which is substantially at right angles with the center of the said surface; a hood-like device which extends upwardly from the trough and which encloses all but the said surface of the element; a spray forming device positioned in front of the said surface of the element; means slidably positioned on the hood-like device for at times shielding the said surface of the element from the spray forming device; and means for automatically reciprocating the spray-forming device to and fro across the said surface.

3. Apparatus for determining the effectiveness of a cleaning solution comprising an elongated trough; an element having a flat circular surface positioned above one extremity of the trough; a standard soil which is substantially uniformly deposited on the said surface; means for rotating the element at a predetermined rate on an axis which is substantially at right angles with the center of the said surface; a support member which is positioned across the width of the trough adjacent an intermediate portion thereof; an arm pivotally secured to the support member on an axis which is disposed substantially parallel to the axis of the said element; a shaft which is rotatably mounted on an axis that is also parallel to the said axis of the said element; means mounted on the support member including an electric motor and a speed reducing device for rotating the shaft at a predetermined rate; a link pivotally secured at its opposite extremities to an intermediate portion of the arm and an eccentric point on an extremity of the shaft; a spray-forming device which is secured to the arm; and means for supplying the spray-forming device with controlled amounts of pressurized steam and the said cleaning solution.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 716,459 Mueller Dec. 23, 1902 1,763,992 Smith June 17, 1930 1,992,234 Patterson Feb. 26, 1935 2,294,511 Neiman Sept. 1, 1942 2,648,220 Tiers Aug. 11, 1953 

1. APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A CLEANING SOLUTION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED THROUGH; AN ELEMENT HAVING A FLAT CIRCULAR SURFACE POSITIONED ABOVE ONE EXTREMITY OF THE TROUGH; A STANDARD SOIL WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORMLY DEPOSITED ON THE SAID SURFACE; MEANS FOR ROTATING THE ELEMENT AT A PREDETERMINED RATE ON AN AXIS WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES WITH THE CENTER OF THE SAID SURFACE; A HOOD-LIKE DEVICE WHICH EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM THE TROUGH AND WHICH ENCLOSED ALL BUT THE SAID SURFACE OF THE ELEMENT; A SPRAY-FORMING DEVICE POSITIONED IN FRONT OF THE SAID SURFACE OF THE ELEMENT; MEANS FOR SUPPLYING THE SPRAY-FORMING DEVICE WITH CONTROLLED AMOUNTS OF A PRESSURIZED FLUID AND THE SAID CLEANING SOLUTION; AND MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY RECIPROCATING THE SPRAYFORMING DEVICE TO AND FRO ACROSS THE SAID SURFACE. 